A Messeage From Rob, BikerDown Staffordshire

Something I wouldn’t normally post about on here but I’ve just spent a weekend in Wales supporting the Joe Gilligan Trust where I met a truly awesome bunch of people. The Mad Moorlanders led by the legend that is Andy De Caso have completed a month of fundraising for the JGT which climaxed with a 200 mile, chasing the sunset cycle ride from Skegness to Rhyl in one day. Absolutely phenomenal effort from all the guys. Heading towards raising £20k which is already helping families and young individuals with a cancer diagnosis throughout Stoke on Trent, Staffordshire and beyond. If you want to know more about this incredible (and very possibly completely bonkers) bunch of humans take a look at the link below. I’m choosing to post now as I was incredibly moved by the team’s efforts over the month but particularly in relation to Saturday’s efforts. It also dovetails with #ptsdawareness month so I’m compelled to post. Joe Gilligan was my nephew. We lost him to brain cancer in 2009 at the age of twenty. The trust is entirely the work of others, particularly my brother and sister in law Joey's Folks and I take no credit whatsoever. At the time of Joe’s passing I was incredibly angry about what I perceived to be an incredible injustice. A decade later when I finally undertook therapy with MIND Blue Light, after life (as always a combination of personal and professional) had given me one knock too many, I became aware of things such as compassion fatigue and moral injury. Both issues I was suffering with in spades and that affect many blue light responders. And yes, I was still holding onto that anger over Joe’s passing. I may post again about mental health but I’m aware that many people do, and much more eloquently that I ever could. Perhaps I’ll talk about the positives, the good people that I’ve met or the experiences I’ve had that, without an awareness of my own mental health I may never have had. Experiences such as meeting the Mad Moorlanders!